Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-07-22

to defend him and got him acquitted He
seemed to feel gratiiicd by my interest, and
we have been friends ever since, though
Just at present he is in strict retirement in
another part of the country. That acqian-
lance led to others; I'm on friendly terms
with all of them, as | said and every once
in while | get an addition from owe of
them to my collection. If they get hold of
anything they think would like, they
drop me word, and 20 round and look at
it, and pay what they ask for it can
afford to. | find them very entertaining
company on their own account, too and
often, when | hear of any new scheme being
ON foot, get Il few of them together. and
listen to them talking it over. It's better
fun than ordinary society or club life. or
the theatre. or any of those stale. common
place things. | never give them away. and
sometimes | give them lift when they ge.
into trouble; but it's understood that
never have anything to do with any of their
jobs so we run along very smoothly, and
there no harm done to anybody
Except, suggested the secretary, ''to the
owners of the diamond pin, and the watch,
and things of the kind which they might
have recovered if you had not bought them.
"Oh. | arrange for all that - rcioined Mr..
Smith. complacently. In the first place,
mike if n ,,lc moi to Inv anvtbing tbot
b,. a sentimental volun attached tn il .o
that il rnuId NOT bn ranl,roJ hv ,uotbo,
thine of tho sauna kind ar if bv accident
do come into nnssnssiou of such a snociuon
| r.tiiru if In all other cases remit tbn
money v,lun nt oncn ia the owner In thot
WAY / nrovide orainst nnv ones hoin,r a
loser nv my Httlr fad Evervthino in that
collnction-evcry stolen ohiect-hns bnen
poid for twice over Mt its full cost md
often very much more | don't hayplr at
nricos. and no one could he n collector in
my. limo who hadn't nlnntv of MONEY, "
"IIavn Won made any late addition to
vour colloctiont' manfred the secretary
whom this address. had brought to n state
of mind moro easily IMAGINED than dcscrib-
ad
"Bv the bv. | have. " REPLIED the collac-
tor. "and a nice little sum it cost met
But if is worth it. for it is n relict of the
biggest robbery ever penetrated in New
York; matter of three million dollars
more or less The bulk of the property
stolen was in REGISTERED securities and bonds
I conicd ont the list and among them |
noticed 20 United States ) 20 bonds 1860
thouobt I should like to rct hold Of one Of
those and as hlck would have il rot n line
from a fellow | know informing me that he
had rot one of those very bonds and offer
ing to sell if to me. went on-.ho was i'm
Chicago-met him. saw the bond. and
boupht il for-how much do Won think9-a
Thousand dollars | give Won nv word
But if was worth it. as he said il WAS the
bicrest bank robbery on record Well
then I sent the face value of tbe bond-
S5OO-to the hank. 50 Won see - ne added
oncning another drawer and taking ont the
identical bond in question. sit has cost me
$1,000 altogether. y
The secretary took the bond and unfolded
if II was what Mr. Smith had described if
to be. the number was 81. 939 The secre-
tary had an exceedingly retentiye memory.
and he had made nm rsnecinl noint of com
mittin,- to if all the Numbers and designa
tions of fine securities distracted from the
Manhattan hank Inv tbe unknown BURGLARS.
and in order to avoid oll nossihilitv of error
ne had mt n copv of the bank circular in
his rocket II struck him that No o. .934
was not one of the stolen number
81 presume " he said ..that the robbarv
Won refer to WINS that of the Manhattan
hank last Octobers''
..\Vrl if was - Mr.. Smith admitted
.thouoh MS Won will readily understand
should not cnrc TO make that statement ia
every one. There is. of course " he added
with n laurh sa slipht technical irrenulori-
tv about some of NV proceedings. although.
ms | have pojnted ont | carefully avold amy
thing really wrong: but do not wish to
imperil my collection by subiecting it to
any policr investigation. have very few
contidauts and seldom refer TO the sub iect
in any way."
"But it occnrs to me" the secretary
continued. "that this bond is not one of
those which were stolen from the Manhat
tan bank. happen to have observed the
numbers: There was. if II remember
right. a No. 81 .933. but not a o. ga "
..Well. now. it's an odd thing - soid the
collector. "but do Won know that is pre-
cisely what | Thought when nv friend in
Chicago offered me the bond for sale Not
only that lint had copied down fine num-
hers into INV note book and on consulting
If | found | was right Rut that only shows
how mistakes creep in. NV Chicago friend
ha1,anod to have fine printed list itself is
sund by the bank in his nocket and h
l A.. A.. I 500,